Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has cancelled the Gulf Tourism Summit which was due to take place on day one of this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

The Gulf Tourism Summut a “high-level” tourism summit involving the region’s tourism ministers was due to be staged following the opening ceremony of popular travel show the ATM, which takes place from May 5-8 2009 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Reed Travel group’s exhibitions director Mark Walsh said the event had been postponed to ATM 2010 due to “a number of logistical and project issues beyond our control”.

“We are dedicated to ensuring the 2010 Summit is a critical platform and high-level forum for Gulf countries to promote their tourism strategies, areas of excellence and achievements, discuss growth trends, and explore future opportunities to an international audience of ministers, travel professionals, press and TV,” he said.

“We remain committed to ensuring that Arabian Travel Market 2009, with its enhanced offerings and other new initiatives, is our most informative and business friendly show to date.”

Highlights of this year’s show include Travel Agents’ Day, sponsored by the region’s leading travel trade title, Arabian Travel News, which will take place on day three of ATM (Thursday May 7) and involve training workshops, topical seminars, as well as the Travel Agent Passport scheme.

Agents can collect a passport with their copy of the May issue of Arabian Travel News, available at the show, and are then invited to visit the stands of all participating travel product and service providers who will stamp their passport.

Once their passports are full, they hand them in at the ITP Business Publishing or Arabian Travel News stand to be entered into a prize draw, with five major prizes on offer, including a home entertainment system.

The prizes will be awarded on the Travel Agent Stage in Hall 8 at the end of the day